Norris concedes title defense: 'I wish George the best in trying to fight Kimi'

Norris sits 96 points behind Antonelli heading into the inaugural race at the Madring, despite back-to-back victories in Budapest and Zandvoort that briefly cut the deficit to 83 points.

Antonelli's stunning charge from P19 to win at Monza last time out pushed the gap back towards triple figures. Russell sits second in the standings, 66 points behind his Mercedes teammate and 30 ahead of Norris in fourth.

Speaking to media on Thursday in Madrid including GPBlog, Norris was frank about where he stands. "[Russell] is 30 points ahead of me, so George, I think, is still the one who has the best chance of trying to take the challenge to Kimi."

The defending champion pointed to McLaren's fourth and fifth place finishes at Monza as proof that his car is not competitive everywhere. "We have two wins in a row, so the car is good in some places," he said. "It's just, like I said, not as good as it needs to be everywhere. And the only person that has a car that's the same as Kimi is George. So I wish George the best in trying to fight Kimi."

Russell himself was realistic about his position when speaking on the same day. The Mercedes driver, who finished second behind Antonelli at Monza after being overtaken in the closing stages, admitted his teammate has earned the championship lead. "I'm not trying to be delusional, the reality is my team mate has done a better job than me this year," Russell said.

Russell added that fortune will play a role. He said: "I definitely need some luck and I need some good performances." Mercedes have won nine of the first thirteen races in 2026, with Antonelli responsible for seven victories, underlining why Norris believes only Russell, in the same machinery, can realistically mount a challenge over the remaining ten rounds.

Both drivers will get their next opportunity to close the gap this weekend at the Madring, where F1 races for the very first time. Norris compared the layout to Jeddah but acknowledged he will not know whether the track suits McLaren until he gets out on track for Friday practice.